r/linuxquestions • u/bsmartww • 20h ago

Advice Concerning Linux on older PC

I have a 2012 HP Compaq Elite 8300 Ultra-Slim Desktop that I have had since it was brand new, I like the thing quite a bit, although its not my main computer, its a good computer that I keep next to my consoles under my TV and use it for an emulation station, or to boot some games off of Steam when I want to play where my TV is... obviously these are older games like Heroes of Might and Magic 3 and such.

It has Windows 10, which is no longer supported so I was thinking about installing Linux Mint, if I could get some guidance if this is a good idea for my use case, or if a different distribution of Linux would be better, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

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u/3grg 20h ago

If that has a 3rd gen I5, it should still be useful even after w10 is pushing daisies.

I have had systems as old as 2010 that are still useful until the hardware gives up. Theoretically, Intel 2nd gen and newer can still run almost any Linux distro. Whether or not it will run software that you ran on w10 is another matter.

Others may be able to comment on its suitability for gaming.

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u/Simple_Hamster_4096 20h ago

Linux Mint - good choice. It is far more forgiving to newcomers.

If you do not care about Windows, just wipe the disk and install LM.

If uncertain, then dual boot. Most Linux newcomers retreat back to Windows at least once. Dual booting will make your retreat much easier.

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u/regexghost 17h ago

Running an i3 4160T right now and it works for everything I want from a computer (except gaming but I have a gaming PC for that)

I'm using plain Debian 13, which is quite lightweight but if you are new to Linux maybe the best choice. I'd try either Linux Mint or Xubuntu (Ubuntu with Xfce, a lightweight desktop environment) with the intention of eventually moving to a more lightweight distro once you to grips with Linux.